About

Elegance, rhythm
and control.

Ruqayyah is a certified STOTT PILATES instructor specialising in mat and reformer training. Shaped by international modelling and samba dance, her teaching carries a refined blend of elegance, rhythm and control.

Her classes improve posture, sculpt and strengthen the body, and promote mindful, intentional movement, so that clients feel aligned, confident and at their absolute best.

Expertise

What she works on

Posture correctionDesk shoulders, a stiff low back, one hip that sits higher. Usually the reason people book.

Mind-body movementFewer repetitions, done with your attention on them. That is the whole method.

Athletic PilatesFaster and stronger, for people who lift or run and want the mobility to match.

Core strengthDeep abdominals and pelvic floor first, the visible muscles after.

Teaching mat and reformer for around two years. Recently finished training on the Cadillac, chair and barrels, with certification exams still to come.

Method

How a session is built

STOTT PILATES rests on a handful of basic principles, and Ruqayyah teaches them explicitly rather than leaving you to guess. Her own teaching posts walk through them one at a time.

BreathingWhere the breath goes decides whether the deep core switches on at all.

Pelvic placementNeutral or imprinted, chosen for the exercise rather than by habit.

Rib cage placementRibs knit down, so the work stays in the abdominals and off the back.

Scapular mobility and stabilityShoulder blades that glide and then hold, which is most of what fixes desk posture.

Head and cervical placementThe neck follows the spine instead of leading it.

Then the apparatusReformer, Cadillac, chair and barrels, chosen for what your body needs that day.

In her own frames

The whole picture

Pilates is not separate from the rest of it. The sea, the hills, the studio and the stillness are the same practice, done in different rooms.

Water — Ruqayyah — **Water**Recovery counts as training.

Movement — Ruqayyah — **On the reformer**Springs take the weight while you learn the shape.

Hands on — Ruqayyah — **The chair**Small machine, no hiding place.

Warmth — Ruqayyah — **Matwork**No machine needed, and nowhere to cheat.

Up — Ruqayyah — **Hands on**Cues and corrections, not a count from the corner.

Reach — Ruqayyah — **Feet in straps**Where most people first feel their back let go.

Stillness — Ruqayyah — **Stillness**Stillness is a skill as well.

Line — Ruqayyah — **Reach**Range you can actually use.

In kit — Ruqayyah — **The room**Brick, light and full apparatus.

Herself — Ruqayyah — **Your teacher**The person who will be in the room.

Photographs from her own Instagram, @ruqayyah_kj. To be confirmed with her before this goes live.

Elegance, rhythmand control.

What she works on

How a session is built

The whole picture

Train with her

Elegance, rhythm
and control.